Bloomberg to the rescue - Front Page - cultural institutions receive funding - Brief Article

As New York City's cultural institutions are dealing with shrinking endowments, lower attendance, a decline in giving, and deep state and city budget cuts, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg has personally donated $10 million to the Carnegie Corporation, a philanthropic group, with instructions to distribute the funds to small and midsize venues. While the gift was made anonymously, and the mayor's office would not comment, sources quoted in the New York Times said that the money came from the mayor and matches a donation he made last year. The new funds provided grants ranging from $25,000 to $100,000 to 162 agencies in all five boroughs.

The Bloomberg administration recently reduced the Department of Cultural Affairs budget by 6 percent as part of citywide budget cuts for fiscal year 2003. An additional 11.5 percent reduction for fiscal year 2004 will lower the agency's budget from the current $121 million to $102 million. Commissioner Kate Levin points out, however, that the city's budget for capital projects is a respectable $529 million over four years.

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